User talk:CzechOut
Hi CzechOut. Thanks for contacting me. As a matter of fact, I thought about our main/start page too and how to make it look more appealing. It looks very basic and 70s style right now. But first I've concentrated on the contents of the countries to improve, then the intro page. But I collected some ideas throughout the year of how to improve it too. NAME: I would not change the name. Reason: Our WIKI is about prepaid SIMs with data for mobile (GSM) devices. "prepaidwithdata" sounds just right. People know the name by now. Just to call it prepaidsim or something like that would mean that we cover voice and text messages too, what we don't and what we should not do. There are other sites on the web for that like www.prepaidgsm.net. But we are the only page specializing in prepaid data which gets more and more important and is still absolutely overcharged when you travel internationally. "Here's what this wiki is about" '(grey box, should remain at the start, but could look better): You may better call it our "'mission". I don't like that two Apple products are specificly named. It should be neutral, without brand names of any company. So may be we should rephrase it.... This is what I have in mind to improve the start/head page: *to make it graphically more appealing with colours and easy to understand graphics linking to sub-pages *to make it easier for Newbies to understand the topics and special terms which are used in the countries section *to create a general part to introduce people better to the subject of this WIKI I know a lot of people who are interested (in buying a local SIM card when travelling) but are afraid because they don't understand the subject. And others who did, were frustrated, because it didn't work for one reason or the other. Problem: '''To archieve all this, it would "overload" one starter page. So I think it would be good for instance to link to a kind of '''glossary which explains the most terms on linked sub-pages to the main page of the WIKI My proposals are: #to better describe our subject: MOBILE DEVICES (which?), PREPAID (PAYG, what is this?) WITH DATA (why only data?) and to draw a clear line: We don't cover voice or SMS. #as we get more and more countries listed, the countries section may need to be rearranged according to region or continent in alpha order (like prepaidgsm.net) for a better layout #there should be a general part about the two prerequisites: UNLOCKED PHONE and FREQUENCIES and a short introduction for Newbies about GSM, 2G, 3G and 4G without going too much in detail. #there should be a kind of glossary of terms used frequently in the sections: WIFI; tethering, default data rate, data packages, VoIP, SIM card sizes, APN settings, reloads, Blackberrys........ (only the words should appear on the main page linking to sub-pages explaining or giving links where it is explained) #there should be a general troubleshooting: may be in a way of Q&A #and last but not least a request to contribute to this WIKI and how to do it. The thing is: Someone needs to write the basic structure of this, others can contribute. But according to my experience from the countries section, you get a better result if it is not a patchwork of all but a general proposal with subsequent corrections or contributions by others. I have some sections of my proposals already written, some graphics of my ideas already drawn. May be you can think of the formidable task to enhance and implement it graphically. I don't have a lot of experience in graphics of wikia. May be we can cooperate on this and give a proposal for a better introducing page(s) to the community. Is there a way I can contract you personally? So we can talk about it in more detail. Greetings from Berlin (will be travelling through Asia end of January) to the Czech Republic Wolfbln (talk) 10:04, January 8, 2015 (UTC) update to CzechOut Hi Czech Out. I just checked your proposal and I kind of like it. Concerning the name: I have no problem that it is called prepaid with data '''like in the address you have to enter in your browser. I really never understood why the address is http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com and then it is called Pay as You Go with data. I think the name (at top left) should coincide with terms used in the browser address line. '''Prepaid is called Pay as you go in some countries (e.g. UK) but it think we should stick to prepaidwithdata then. At top of the site of course written with blanks between: Prepaid with Data Again, I think the name should contain prepaid (or pay as you go) and data because a lot of people access it by Google Search where some countries are listed quite high. So we have a lot of hits. We should leave these links intact. When people link it to/ or enter the address prepaidwithdata they probably expect infos about Prepaid SIM cards with data :-) But basically is what you have done is: to make it brown, give it a SIM card logo (which is nice) and leave the rest as it is. As I said: We should stay with the given address links because of the Google listings. The weakness of this start page is not the colour IMHO. But the fact, that it is essential text only and boring to read. What I have in mind for instance: First of all: we have to explain why we make this WIKI and what it is all about: It is about prepaid /PAYG sim cards for data on mobile devices. 3 things to explain: 1.) What is prepaid/PAYG? advantages, disadvantages 2.) Why only data? Why not voice or text? 3.) What kind of mobile devices? Smartphones, routers, modems, USB-dongles, Mifis...... so we can use a graphics like this (from my archives): and users can click on the graphics opening a sub-page explaning the questions. Ideally the same graphics should reappear on the sub-page. The same can be done with the UNLOCKED DEVICES, FREQUENCIES or a GLOSSARY of the most important terms. May be we should first agree on a basic colour setting and I or you can fit the graphics to it later. Wolfbln (talk) 11:27, January 8, 2015 (UTC) my idea of the new 1st page Hi CzechOut Another update: I made a short survey how I can imagine our main/head page can look like.I think colour or design is often a matter of taste, so I stuck to the contents. My basic idea is not to "overload" the 1st page with too much text (like it is right now). So we can use graphics or small icons. By clicking on these icons, a sub-page opens with explanations. Core part stays our countries list. So it should remain on top. Explanations are mostly for those who are not so familiar with the subjects. This I can think our start page can look like for contents not for graphical layout or colour. May be you do the graphics and I add the contents.... Feedback Hi CzechOut Well you are a graphical layout man, but i'm more concerned with the contents. It is a matter of taste. some like black letters on white ground more, some white on dark brown. I think the contrast of the linked words is not so good because they are browninsh too. But colors are a matter of taste. Before you change it, why don't you put your proposal on the main page and get some more feedback. What my proposal is concerned: of course, the countries should stay in the center of the main page. But again: they will be in light brown against a back brown - not much contrast. My question: Does your color only apply to the main page or to all countries sections as well? My decision is to put your proposal on the main page for others to read and decide. Wolfbln (talk) 21:27, January 8, 2015 (UTC) Reconsideration of CzechOut's proposal Reconsideration of CzechOut's proposals Hi CzechOut. Today, I thought about your two proposals. The one of renaming the URL name and your new color layout. I've come to the conclusion that I reject both. The reasons are: Most people come here for information. We are the only site on the net covering prepaid data plans for people travelling to other countries. I think it's really not so important what the colors are or the exact name of the WIKI. I do really think that this WIKI can improve a lot graphically, but not in simply changing white to brown background or black to white letters. Instead by trying to visually "translate" the often very abstract topics. As you have seen, I'm in the process of visually enhancing our main page. Even if I think, that most users come through links directly to national chapters. But the main page can be our billboard for Newbies to get attracted to the subject. 1.)' new color layout: ' Generally, it's a matter of taste and I don't like brown so much. I don't know what the color has to do with SIM cards or the subject but this can be said to white too. I tried it out in a national chapter: http://czechit.wikia.com/wiki/Bulgaria and there is a fact I especially don't like. The logos of the listed providers become very dominant as they are mostly against a white background. They are only used as guidance for the reader to find the shops on the street, but now they dominate the whole article. It's better when they are not against a white background like the Orange logo, but I don't think that you want to mask the background of 200 jpg. pics from white into brown. 2.) new URL address As I said before, prepaidsimwithdata is an established address within the community. I would not give this up. People don't only come through Google or Bing but linked by a lot of travel sites and bloggers as well. You don't give up this in the hope of a few clicks more when the URL contains "SIM" too. But you can mirror this WIKI with the new name prepaid-data-sim-card or whatever and start a new main page with this name and link it to the old prepaidsimwithdata. Count the clicks on both and we know more. So, I'm sorry to say, that I reject both of your proposals. I'm not against change, but I don't see any advantages in plain renaming or recoloring. But what about my proposal to enhance the contents graphically, not only by giving it a new color or name but by visualizing the text?.What are your ideas for a good main page? Wolfbln (talk) 01:47, January 12, 2015 (UTC) P.S. I do like your SIM card depiction on the top left banner. But when the name will be as long as it is, there is hardly any space left for it.